Winners announced in the 2022 Irish Sport Industry Awards
The winners of the 2022 Irish Sport Industry Awards, hosted by the Federation of Irish Sport in association with Clubforce, were announced at an awards ceremony at Dublin’s Westin Hotel this week.
The Minister for State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, delivered the keynote address to an audience of representatives from across the sports sector.
The 10 award categories recognise the value that sport adds to the Irish economy from the sports industry perspective, in addition to celebrating the ongoing work done by national governing bodies and local sports partnerships to promote sport and physical activity nationwide.
The sport industry in Ireland supports 64,000 jobs and stimulates €3.3 billion in household spending.
Volleyball Ireland won the coveted National Governing Body of the Year award for making significant developments in their commitment to increasing participation and diversity in growing the game.
The winner for the Outstanding Contribution to Irish Sport for 2022 is J.P. McManus, whose sporting altruism he has overseen the J.P. McManus Scholarship Programme, with over 1,500 students gaining college scholarships so far, many of them from sporting backgrounds, in order to help them achieve their sporting as well as their academic ambitions.
The Jimmy Magee Sports Journalist of the Year Award was presented to RTÉ broadcaster and author Jacqui Hurley for her work in the area of sports broadcasting and as an author, and for pioneering the work of getting female athletes getting the respect and recognition they deserve.
Congratulating the award winners, Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, commented: “The awards are a celebration of the ongoing work done by national governing bodies and local sports partnerships to promote sport and physical activity nationwide. They also serve to recognise the invaluable relationship between business and sport in Ireland and the value that sport adds to the Irish economy. It is important to the federation to highlight this and give prominence to the business of sport.”
Noel Murray, CEO of Clubforce, added: “It has been a real pleasure to work with Mary and her team to showcase the value that sport brings to our economy and to reward the contribution of individuals and organisations building communities, promoting participation, and inspiring talent for high performance in sport.
“As the industry becomes not only more important for our economy but also for our communities, health and well-being, we are navigating through a critical period of transformation where accessibility, sustainability and technology are topics of major significance, especially in a post-Covid world.”
The award winners are:
- Best sports sponsorship: Sky Ireland and FAI Women’s National Team
- Best use of communications platform in sport: Her Sport, media platform dedicated to women in sport
- Best initiative to promote women in sport and physical activity: Swim Ireland Women in Sport Leadership Programme
- Best initiative to promote inclusivity in sport and physical activity: The Sanctuary Runners inclusive running community
- The Jimmy Magee Award for sports journalist of the year: Jacqui Hurley
- Outstanding Achievement for Contribution to Irish Sport Award: J.P. McManus
- Best new sports business of the year: MOBY Bikes
- Best sports business of the year: STATSports
- Local sports partnership of the year: Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership
- National governing body of the year: Volleyball Ireland